b'Conversely, people with low self-esteem feel inferior to others, incompetent, deeply flawed, and tend to overly focus on their weaknesses. Not only do they tend to have a negative perception of themselves, but can be more vulnerable to the negative opinions of others. Low self-esteem is also strongly associated with the development of anxiety and depression.CBT to the rescuePsychological treatments for low self-esteem generally target our thoughts and beliefs and examine the effect it has on our behavior. For example, someone with low self-esteem may have negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves or internalize the way they believe the world feels about them. Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the most researched forms of evidence-based treatment that has shown to be effective for treating low self-esteem. CBT works by directly helping you identify your negative thoughts and beliefs, and teaching you how to challenge them. Think of CBT like pulling weeds in a garden. The idea being that your negative thoughts are like leafy parts of the weeds we see above the ground. But what happens when we pull a weed without digging into the soil and pulling out the root? It comes back. CBT also focuses on identifying your core beliefs. Core beliefs are our most deeply help beliefs about ourselves and our world. We tend to be less aware of our core beliefs (just like how we do not see the root of a weed), but they often guide the way we think, feel, and what we do. The goals of CBT are to help you to identify core beliefs about your world, identify healthier beliefs, face your fears, develop self-compassion, and replace unhealthy behaviors. In addition to professional help, you may try engaging in self-compassion exercises that help you connect to the most positive parts of yourself and your worldview. Give these self-compassion exercises a try: 1. Try to be more aware of what you are telling yourself and set aside time to think about the characteristics that are positive. 2. Do something nice for yourself (because you deserve it). Dress up and go out, have a spa day, get a manicure/pedicure, plan a vacation, etc.3. Think of someone you respect or care deeply about and think to yourself how you would feel about them if they were in your situation. We are often much kinder to the people around us than we are to ourselves.Social interactions are intertwined with our mental and emotional wellness as they can both contribute to one another. If you are in a trusting state of mind, you are more willing to share your emotions with others to build that social relationship further. Be patient and practice empathy for yourself and others, but also stay rm on your boundaries as you navigate relationships.Understanding and nurturing your social wellness will help to create fullling relationships while prioritizing your individual needs. Practicing effective communication allows you to express your needs with clarity and empathy, while engaging within your community will help to provide a sense of belonging and support. Creating and enforcing health boundaries ensures your relationships respect your emotion and physical needs. Over time, these practices empower you to create connections that uplift and strengthen your overall wellness. 13'